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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Thursday the East Coast “could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming” as bitterly cold temperatures are expected to freeze large swaths of the country this holiday weekend.
Trump wrote on Twitter, “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record.” He added: “Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!”
The president did not acknowledge the difference between the weather and the climate. Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions during a shorter period, while climate is a longer view of weather patterns.
Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a “hoax” created by the Chinese to damage American industry.
He announced earlier this year his intention to pull out of the landmark Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gas production. The accord set goals for slowing the rate of climate change by reducing the emissions that contribute to melting Arctic ice, increasing sea levels and changing weather patterns across the globe.
The U.N.’s weather and climate agency said last month that 2017 was on track to become the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Niño phenomenon, which can contribute to higher temperatures.
Last year set a record for Earth’s average global temperature.